Trailer leg



Sept. 1o, 1929. E R KISON 1,727,430

TRAILER LEG Filed Aug. 1, 1928 Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITED snxrusI APATsN'r, oEFIcE.

EDWARD RAY GILKISON, F TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO E. P. GILXISON @c SONS COMPANY, 0E TERRE .'l-IAUTE,l INDIANA,

yA CORPORATION 0F INDIANA.

TRAILER LEG.

Application led August \1`, 1928. Serial No. 296,801.

This invention relates to a leg for a ca mping trailer and has for its primary objects the provision of a leg that may be quickly and easily raised or loweredV to support the 5 weight of the trailer, that may be secured in a number of extended positions to accommodate itself touneven'ground, that may b e held positively in a raised inoperative position, and that may be made in quantlty production very cheaply with the maximum -strength for the minimum wei ht.

Other objects will be apparent in the following description ofthe invention as shown in the accompanying drawing, in. which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a trailer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary rear 'elevatlon of a leg detached from the trailer;

Fig. 3, an elevation of the leg; and D Fig. 4 a horizontal transverse section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2. t

Like characters of reference indicate llke parts throughout the several views.

I extend the rail 10 from the chassis frame and rivet thereto a length of square tubing 11 in a vertical position. On the top side of the rail 10, I rivet the barrel 12 bg the ear 13 which is welded to the barrel. T e barrel 12 extends snugly through a hole in the tubing 11to leave a clearance between the end of the barrel and the opposite wallof the tubing to permit the channel bar 14 to slide freely thereetween.

The bar 14 being substantially U-shaped has the legs extended backwardly along the side-walls ofthe tubing 11, straddling the barrel 12, the bar 14 being free to slide longitudinally of the tubing 11. A foot-plate 15 is attached to the lower end of the bar 14 by the angle 25, and a lurality of holes 16 are punched through t e back of the bar 14 near its upper end, with a hole 17 therethrough toward the lower end. i

Within the barrel 12 is a rod 18 slidingly passed through the outer end, and turned sharply to form the operating handle 19. Near the inner end of the rod 18 is a stopguide 20 comprising a short cylinder through which the rod 18 is centrally passed and welded thereto, the guide 20 being free to slide within the barrel. Between the outer end of the barrel 12 and the stop-guide 20 is compressively carried the spring 21 concentrically about the rod 18, so that the rod is normally pressed backwardly to be stopped by the handle 19.

The end of the rod 18 projecting beyond the guide 2O is of suiicient length to permit it to pass through any of the holes 16 and 17 and on through a hole'in the tubing 11, as in Fig. 2, where the rod 18 is passed through the hole 17 to hold the bar 14 in its extreme upward, inoperative position, being the same as that shown in Fig. 1. One of such legs is positioned at each corner of the trailer, and may be let down to contact the ground to prevent rocking of the trailer about the wheels 22 and to prevent downward motion of the trailer through its springs 23.

In operating the leg, the handle 19 is pulled outwardly from the barrel to compress the spring 21 and withdraw the rod 18 from the hole in the tubing 11 and the hole 17 in the bar 14, whereupon the bar 14 may drop by gravity to contact the ground by its foot plate 15. The handle 19 is released to let the rod 18 press against the bar 14 and by lifting the trailer slightly, the rod 18 will enter the next hole 16 above the point of contact of the rod 18 on the bar, whereupon the rod end will pass on through and out the tubing hole. The operation is reversed to elevate the bar 14, the rod 18 being withdrawn and the bar 14 raised by hand to bring the hole 17 up to be entered by the rod 18.

It will be noted that there is no bending action on the rod 18 since it is supported closely on each side of the wall of the bar 14.

I claim:

1. In a trailer leg, a tubular guide of ap -preciable length, a bar carried in the guide slide between its end and 9 said bar having a A luralitl of holes therethrough capable of eing se ectively matched with said guide hole by moving said bar, and said bar being hollow and o en from one side s to permit said barrel to project to within the bar.

2. In a trailer leg, a hollow reotangularv guide fixed to the trailer, a leg vertically slidably carried in said guide, said leg being U- shaped in horizontal cross section, a barrel horizontally disposed and xedly extending through said uide to have an end positioned within the guide and between the lateral arms of and terminating substantially on the face of said leg, a rod extending through the barrel,

a spring within the barrel normally pressin said rod toward said leg, said guide and sai leg have holes therethrough to permit said rod to pass through said leo into said guide upon suitable movement of the leg, and means for withdrawing said rod.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature EDWARD RAY GILKISON. 

